A man paints limewash on an oak tree infested with the goldspotted oak borer in Orange County’s Silverado Canyon in May 2024. A tiny beetle responsible for killing hundreds of thousands of oak trees in Southern California has reached Ventura County, marking a troubling expansion. This is the farthest north the goldspotted oak borer has been found in the state. AdvertisementIn the Golden State, the beetles are attacking the coast live oak, canyon live oak and the California black oak. The goldspotted oak borer is native to Arizona, where the ecosystem is adapted to it and it doesn’t kill many trees.

Source: Los Angeles Times January 10, 2026 18:30 UTC